plural minnows also minnow
1
a
: a small cyprinid, killifish, or topminnow
b
: any of various small fish that are less than a designated size and are not game fish
2
: a live or artificial minnow used as bait
Examples of minnow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
New York, a minnow by comparison, has a few dozen, but its post-pandemic boom has been far more extreme.
—
Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Playing against mostly minnows in the West Coast Conference as a redshirt freshman, Graves is an unusual case.
—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
Despite reaching the final for a second time, the 2024 team served up turgid fare in most of its matches, so much so that frustrated fans threw plastic beer cups at Southgate following a goalless tie against the minnows of Slovenia.
—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
Rules will vary state by state, but some require separate permits on top of your fishing license to do things like set minnow and crayfish traps.
—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for minnow
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Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Playing against mostly minnows in the West Coast Conference as a redshirt freshman, Graves is an unusual case.
—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
Despite reaching the final for a second time, the 2024 team served up turgid fare in most of its matches, so much so that frustrated fans threw plastic beer cups at Southgate following a goalless tie against the minnows of Slovenia.
—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
Rules will vary state by state, but some require separate permits on top of your fishing license to do things like set minnow and crayfish traps.
—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for minnow
Cite this Entry
“Minnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minnow. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
minnow
noun
min·now
ˈmin-ō 
plural minnows also minnow
: any of various small freshwater fishes (as a dace or shiner) related to the carps
also
: any of various small fishes that resemble minnows
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